Birth: Females give birth to litters of 2-8 after a gestation period of 5-6 months. Each female has only four teats, and the piglets do not share. A warthog mother will defend her piglets aggressively.

Now you know: Warthogs, wild members of the pig family, live in social groups called sounders, usually composed of one or two females with their young. Males and females only interact during breeding season. Warthogs are powerful diggers and live in burrows, usually ones created by another animal, such as an aardvark. Like domestic pigs, warthogs like to wallow in the mud, to remain cool in the African heat. In cold conditions, they huddle together for warmth. Although warthogs are fierce fighters, their defense mechanisms are usually sprinting away at speeds up to 30 miles per hour or backing up into a burrow with their tusks protecting them.

Tusk, tusk: Warthogs are most well known for their curved tusks, which protrude from their mouths. Their upper tusks (canines) can reach a length of 10 inches. The lower tusks rub against the upper tusks and become razor sharp. They use their tusks for digging and fighting. Warthogs also have four wart-like protrusions on their heads, which inspire their name. The warts, used for defense when boars fight, are actually thick patches of flesh that are more prominent on males.

Protection status: Warthogs are generally considered common, but outside protected areas they are declining due to overhunting.